Michael Reddell • Oct 01, 2017 •
I’ve written a few posts in recent months about the connections between our immigration policy – materially boosting our population growth rate – and New Zealand greenhouse gas emissions (for example here and here). New Zealand is unusual because, as the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has highlighted: • we have a fairly high rate of trend population growth, … Read More
John Kerr • Sep 19, 2017 •
The global warming limit set at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit is still possible, say scientists, but we need to redouble our efforts if the Earth’s atmosphere is to limbo under the ambitious boundary. In an article published today in Nature Geoscience an international team of climate scientists reports a re-assessment of complex Earth System Models. Crunching the numbers in light of new … Read More
Public Health Expert • Sep 15, 2017 •
Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Richard Edwards, Dr Cristina Cleghorn, Prof Michael Baker, Dr Caroline Shaw, A/Prof Ralph Chapman, Prof Philippa Howden-Chapman The health organisation OraTaiao convened a group of experts to analyse the climate change policies of NZ political party policies. It gave the highest grade to the Green Party, then the Labour Party, and then The Opportunities Party … Read More
Brendan Moyle • Sep 01, 2017 •
Climate change is one of the NZ election issues of this year. With that in mind, the Science Media Centre asked the parties the following question: How will your party meet the goals of the Paris Agreement? How will agriculture be accounted for in climate change adaptation and mitigation? What are your plans for the Emissions Trading Scheme? Introduction … Read More
Guest Work • Aug 16, 2017 •
By Quentin Douglas Atkinson and Shaun Hendy A little over half the world’s population sees climate change as a serious problem (54% according to a 40-nation Pew Research survey). Coincidentally, roughly the same number identify as Christian or Muslim (55%). On the one hand, these statistics speak to the success of climate change communication. In just … Read More
Gareth Renowden • Aug 07, 2017 •
The excellent new single from Sir William of Bragg. Always right on, our Bill, and often right. See also: Between The Wars. Now talk amongst yourselves… … Read More
Guest Work • Aug 02, 2017 •
By Guang Zeng, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and Jason West, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Climate change is set to increase the amount of ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution we breathe, which leads to lung disease, heart conditions, and stroke. Less rain and more heat means this pollution will stay … Read More
Guest Work • Jul 19, 2017 •
James Dyke, University of Southampton By continuing to delay significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, we risk handing young people alive today a bill of up to US$535 trillion. This would be the cost of the “negative emissions” technologies required to remove CO₂ from the air in order to avoid dangerous climate change. These are the main findings … Read More
Peter Griffin • Jul 12, 2017 •
Former University of Auckland academic Dr Chris de Freitas, has passed away after a two year illness from cancer. Chris de Freitas I had no idea Chris was even sick, so was shocked to hear of his death at the age of 68. He was a climate scientist, had a PhD in climatology and trained in Canada … Read More
Jean Balchin • Jul 11, 2017 •
As temperatures rise, plants head up mountainsides, with weeds spreading to higher altitudes twice as fast as native plants. An international team of researchers, including a New Zealander conducted the first study to look at non-native weed spread. The study specifically examined the European Alps, but a local researcher who was involved said that the situation might be even more dire … Read More